Yes, great question. I think psychedelics provide “it” a lot easier (and sometimes too intense) but the others can be steady hits that satisfy any old addict. I have kicked many of those habits and live just as positive and clean as I felt coming off of mushrooms or LSD.

A major and long-term benefit I’ve noticed from doing psychedelics is allowing yourself to “fold in” the revelations made during the trip.

A trip for me has always consisted of two phases; a general sense of relaxation, euphoria, and the knowledge that you belong... followed by a deeply intense thoughtful period where no idea is too taboo.

I couldn’t process why I was so intensely happy on mushrooms, but why I never felt that way normally. I had a really good trip, but it left me feeling hollow for weeks. It took a long time for me to “fold” that one, and I eventually moved on.

I did LSD much later, and realized on that trip I had been chewing on that old issue for a long time. Why wasn’t I happy?

My brain “snapped” into place in the weeks after, and I realized the answer to much of my anxiety and depression was giving my body a fighting chance by getting healthy and chasing cleaner highs.

I ate cleaner food, worked out when I had never done it before, started cleaning my house more, and slowly kicked all of my bad habits. I folded it all in, though it took several years. My life is night and day different now in terms of depression and anxiety,

I occasionally get the feeling that I’d like to do psychedelics again, but I’m always able to replace it with the euphoria of exercise or healthy adventure, followed by giving myself time to reflect.

I wouldn’t consider this medical advice - just another perspective for anyone out there who may not have access to psychedelics but wants to try and emulate their effects.